Latest news with #dogs
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Say woof! A unique Swiss theme park reopens — and its St Bernards are ready for their close-up
MARTIGNY (Switzerland), June 28 — Syrah walks slowly and deliberately on a treadmill submerged in a large water tank, as two therapists help keep her steady, and a crowd looks on in awe. The eight-year-old St. Bernard is receiving her regular hydrotherapy session, while visitors to the newly reopened Barryland theme park in the Swiss Alpine valley town of Martigny follow every move. 'We give hydrotherapy to older dogs or dogs that have undergone surgery,' Barryland director Melanie Glassey-Roth told AFP. 'Everything here is conceived for the wellbeing of our dogs.' Revamped from a smaller, 'living museum' focused on St. Bernards, after two years of work Barryland has morphed into a large, interactive theme park fully dedicated to Switzerland's national dog. Built in the shape of a paw print, the main building offers interactive experiences and virtual reality tours of the history and myths surround the St. Bernard, as well as the chance to interact with the big dogs themselves. The park is hoping to see its visitor numbers soar to potentially 200,000 a year, up from 83,000 before the renovation. A St. Bernard dog receives care during a press visit ahead of the inauguration of the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. The Barry Foundation is opening a unique venue dedicated to the rescue dog, Switzerland's national emblem. — AFP pic 'Emblematic' The St. Bernard breed, which reached a new level of stardom when it figured in the 1992 blockbuster Hollywood comedy film Beethoven, was cross-bred into existence centuries ago in the Swiss Alps, not too far from where today's theme park lies. It was originally bred from farm dogs indigenous to the region by a hospice monastery, perched 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) above sea level, to use for rescue work in the perilous Great St. Bernard Pass between Switzerland and Italy. 'This is an emblematic dog that represents the entire region,' said Jean-Maurice Tornay, head of the Barry Foundation, which runs Barryland. Barryland got its name from the most famous and heroic St. Bernard of all. An old picture of a St. Bernard dog and a priest taken at the Great Saint Bernard pass is displayed at the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. — AFP pic Local lore holds that Barry, who lived from 1800 to 1814 and was credited with more than 40 rescues in his lifetime, carried a little barrel of alcohol around his collar, a welcome drink for weary travellers. In his honour, the monastery always had one dog named Barry — a tradition that continues at Barryland today. The park's current Barry, a towering 7.5-year-old male weighing around 80 kilograms (176 pounds), is the largest and most decorated of its dogs. The Barry Foundation has 36 St. Bernards in all who live at a nearby kennel in Martigny. Some dogs spend whole summers up at the Great St. Bernard Pass. But with the reopening of Barryland, 16 dogs from the Martigny kennel will crowd into a large van each morning and be driven across to the theme park, ready to play stars. Visitors watch with virtual reality headsets next to a display featuring a model of a St Bernard dog at the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. — AFP pic New mission At Barryland, the giant dogs, with their dark-ringed eyes and fur covered in reddish-brown patches, run around in spacious, grassy parks, lounge in large indoor enclosures and submit to grooming, massages and treatments. For Thursday's reopening, the park presented two new puppies, Xcell and Xaver, who tumbled enthusiastically around their mother Lio, nudging her until she sat down to let them nurse. Nearby, dog handler Sahel Robette encouraged Tosca, an eight-year-old female, to climb onto a large weighing scale. 'Sixty-five kilos (143 pounds)!' he exclaimed, as he began brushing her down, searching her fur for tics and inspecting her ears and nails. A woman takes a picture of a St. Bernard dog during a press visit ahead of the inauguration of the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. — AFP pic Once the heroes of the Swiss Alps, St. Bernards today are doing heroic work in other settings, Tornay said. With helicopters having taken over their rescue role, the St. Bernard has 'found a new social mission', he told AFP. The foundation's dogs make hundreds of visits each year to hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, where they are used for therapy and social training, 'sharing a little bit of kindness', he said. The St. Bernard is perfect for these missions, Glassey-Roth said, as one of the dogs laid its giant head on her lap. 'It has a quiet force; it is calm and very social.' — AFP
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
70 Dogs Rescued from Danger After Doggie Daycare Catches Fire
Seventy dogs were saved after a fire sparked at a doggy daycare in Missouri No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation A Howlin' Good Time Dogcare and Hospital thanked its community for stepping up before firefighters arrivedDozens of dogs are okay after being rescued from a fire at a doggy daycare facility in Missouri. In several posts shared on its official Facebook page, A Howlin' Good Time dog daycare thanked the community for stepping up to save all 70 canines before fire crews were able to arrive. 'Thank you to everyone in the animal community that came out to help us today all dogs are safe. All parents picking up dogs,' the organization wrote on Tuesday, June 24. The fire, which caused the building to 'partially collapse,' started around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Fox 2 Now confirmed, citing fire officials. Firefighters credited civilians for stepping in to help, and spoke with Bryan Clouser of Real McCoy Bodywork about how he sprang into action when it mattered most, per the news station. 'Nothing really matters but the life,' the bodyshop employee said in an on-camera interview. 'These dogs are like children to these people, and they're like family members to these people.' Clouser added, 'We stopped working on these cars. We set everything aside. Schedules, agendas, everything, and we get these dogs outta there.' His auto shop also housed some of the animals until they were able to be reunited with their owners. 'We would like to thank the entire community for bringing supplies for the humans and dogs, the Elk's club for allowing us to use their facility as a staging area to reunite families, and all the amazing guys at Real McCoy Autobody for risking their lives to assist in saving every dog in the building. All staff and dogs got out safely and are resting comfortably,' A Howlin' Good Time said in a follow-up Facebook post. 'Again, thank you all for your love and support during this time. Know that we truly love every last one of you and your furbabies,' the business added. The cause of the 'massive' fire remains under investigation, but it appears to have started in the attic of the doggy daycare. Over 30 firefighters from eight different departments came together to battle the flames. 'It has to be miserable,' Alyson Rotter of the Rock Fire Protection District told the news station of crews responding on the hot June day. 'To go into a fire in 100-degree heat with all of that gear on… they're coming out, they're dripping with sweat.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'They're exhausted, and they'll look at you and say, 'I'm ready to go back in,'' she added. A Howlin' Good Time continues to thank those who helped, and has created a GiveSendGo campaign to do so. Read the original article on People
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
An ugly incident at Seapoint
Sir- In Letters (June 21st) Eileen Bannan remarked on the number of dogs roaming freely at Seapoint in Dublin. Unfortunately, confronting dog owners who choose to ignore the notices can be a risk in itself. My 81-year-old mum who is a daily sea swimmer in Sandycove made the grave mistake of pointing out the sign which clearly states :'Bathing Area – NO dogs allowed all year round. Outside Bathing Area – 10.00 am to 7.00 pm – dogs must be on a leash all year round,' to a man who had two large dogs roaming freely on the small beach. To her horror he approached her, responded that she was the only dog on the beach who should be on a lead and proceeded to put a heavy chain lead around her neck. READ MORE Would he have done this to a dog warden, if there was one to be seen? –Yours, etc, INGRID O'SULLIVAN, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Miss Manners: Leave neighbor's wardrobe choices alone
Dear Miss Manners: I have an acquaintance who frequently walks her dog at the same time I do. She is a nice person, and we get along well; our dogs even like each other. We are both female. The issue is that her skirts or sundresses keep getting shorter. I avert my eyes, but I have seen more of her anatomy than I care to. I have also seen a certain male neighbor looking at her in a not-so-nice way.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Family forced to rehome beloved pet dogs after Kāinga Ora says they aren't allowed
One of the dogs Kāinga Ora says the family is not allowed to have. Photo: Supplied An Auckland state house tenant is unfairly being forced to choose between her two dogs or a roof over her head, according to an advocate for the family. The Favona family, a grandmother, mother and son own a pair of mixed breed dogs, which Kāinga Ora has told them to get rid of or risk losing their home. They said they have been upfront from the start with the agency about having the dogs and there's been no complaints about Nema and Sophie. An Animal Sanctuary that's helping them rehome the dogs says the family got into problems when they filled out a Kāinga Ora pet policy form and identified the dogs as Pitbulls even though they are mixed breed and not pure bred. Kāinga Ora doesn't allow dogs that are classified as menacing under the Dog Control Act, which includes canines that are "wholly or predominately" American Pitt Bull Terrier, regardless of individual behaviour. Anna Dahlberg, who runs Paws Awhile Animal Sanctuary, told Checkpoint the dogs were not menacing and were of unknown mixed breed. "One of them certainly is a lovely Shar Pei cross, and her mother is some sort of mixed breed... if people can't put a name to [the dog], if it's some sort of mixed breed, they just sort of lump it into the category of Pitbull. But there certainly has been no DNA testing to show that these dogs are Pitbull." Dahlberg said there have been zero complaints about either dog, adding their owner, La Heather, takes pride in taking care of the pair. "They're fully house trained. They're very friendly. "The house is clean and tidy, the dogs are clean and tidy, they do their business outside. She's done all the right things. They're vaccinated, flea and worm treated, registered and microchipped, and they are also awaiting desexing. So she really has gone the extra mile." Dahlberg said the family has been open with Kāinga Ora from the beginning of their tenancy, making the state housing agency aware of their pets. But it was once they declared the breed incorrectly that problems began to arise. "As I'm aware, Kāinga Ora originally was OK with it all and then from what I understand things changed when they found out the breed of the dogs. "Just like everyone else, from what I understand, they wrote down Pitbull and that's where they've gotten themselves into trouble." La cares for her elderly mother and is a single parent to her son, so has been left with no choice but to rehome the pair. The family is now waiting on a tribunal date to hear the outcome of Kāinga Ora's decision, but Dalhberg said from what they've been told, it was unlikely to be a positive one. "They've been told quite clearly that it's very unlikely that they will win the tribunal and that the dogs will need to be removed immediately." She said if they were not able to re-home the dogs, the pair will have to be euthanised. "That is just not an outcome we want. The dogs are highly attached to each other. They're mother and daughter, and they're very bonded. But they're also very bonded with their family and their family is very bonded with them." In a statement this afternoon, Kāinga Ora said they advised the family early on that permission for two large dogs would not be possible due to the size of the property. It said it was working with the family. Because the family told Kāinga Ora the dogs are Pitbulls it could not not give permission for the dogs to remain at the property. It confirmed the tenants have been told to rehome the dogs and it that doesn't happen, Kāinga Ora said it will use to the tools it has available to get the dogs rehomed. The agency appreciates that was not the decision the tenants wanted. Dahlberg said Kāinga Ora should look at altering the way it deals with pets at its properties. "[They should] look at it on an individual basis based on the people and how they're treating their dogs rather than based on the dog's breed."
